Gatwick Airport’s head of Airline Relations Stephen King, who has 16 years of working in the aviation industry, has revealed his top tips to bag a flight bargain and save money.

Gatwick Airport

He says: “There are huge bargains for passengers opting for a mid-week flight over a weekend flight.

“Anecdotally, I know from friends and family that they have a good amount of leave to take before the end of the calendar or financial year and there are some great value flights for passengers to take advantage of over the next few months.”

Stephen’s top tips:

1 - Choose a mid-week flight.

There are huge savings to be made by booking mid-week flights versus weekend flights. The airlines team at Gatwick have crunched the numbers to identify savings in the region of 50% on a return flight, in some cases, when opting for a mid-week departure.

2 - Pack a hand luggage size suitcase.

Most airlines will let passengers take on one carry on piece of luggage included in the ticket price, and then will charge for any further pieces of luggage. So avoid any additional charges on your ticket by just taking the one carry on suitcase.

3 - Take that city break in winter rather than summer.

There are savings of up to 70% to be made taking a city break in a winter month over a summer month. A winter trip also provides the opportunity to see the key sights out of the hustle and bustle of the busy summer months.

4 - You don’t have to be flying first class to get the airport lounge experience.

Gatwick has a No.1 Lounge in both its North and South terminals, where any passenger can take advantage of unlimited food and drink, watch TV or browse one of the many magazines available (whilst of course stocking up on some magazine reading material for your flight). Passengers booking the lounge in advance of their trip can save £8 and it’s also well worth booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

5 - Dress to impress.

Putting on a smart outfit, rather than your comfy tracksuit, really does stand you a better chance of being upgraded into the next class of cabin. This is especially important if you are travelling on your own, as it’s easier logistically to move a couple of people around the plane rather than a larger group.

6 - Consider booking your return flight with a different airline.

There is no need to book a return flight with the same airline as your outbound flight. More than one airline might offer flights to your destination - so it’s worth taking a look to see if you can save money flying to your destination on one airline and back with a different airline.